Video Repository on Forest Commodification

Forests are facing immense challenges from the increased commodification of their resources. Some incoming policies may worsen these challenges dramatically. To highlight the lived experiences of communities affected by forest commodification, the Global Forest Coalition has launched a repositoryof videos gathered from a variety of organisations and contexts. The repository has been launched as government representatives gather for the 18th Conference of Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to highlight the results of commodification and the dangers of policies that ignore or intensify commodification processes. The repository organises the videos into three key thematic areas: exporting commodities; carbon: schemes, scams & cowboys; and rights and resistance.

The repository can be accessed here.

RRI Dialogue on Forests, Governance and Climate Change

The twelfth Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI) Dialogue on Forests, Governance and Climate Change was held at the Newseum in Washington, DC, on 5 November 2012, to consider the theme “Scaling-Up Strategies to Reduce Emissions and Advance Development in Forest Areas.” The event was organized by RRI in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy.

João Paulo Miranda and Jessica Campese (Natural Justice) attended the Dialogue, which included important discussions on addressing the obstacles of achieving sustainable use of forests. Participants included representatives from community and non-governmental organisations, governments, donors, and extractive industries, among others. The concept note and agenda, key presentations, and videos are available on the Dialogue webpage. The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) Reporting Services provided digital coverage and a summary report.

FPP Seeking Executive Director

Via www.forestpeoples.org

The Forest Peoples Programme (FPP) is seeking an experienced and dynamic person to serve as Executive Director. The person should be committed to the continued and successful development of FPP and its values, strategic goals and thematic programmes. 

The Executive Director will be responsible for shaping the collective vision and direction of FPP, coordinating all FPP activities, fundraising, and overseeing the management of personnel. A successful candidate will have experience in providing consensus-based leadership, an understanding of relevant issues and legal frameworks, significant experience working with Indigenous peoples and local communities, fundraising experience, leadership qualities, a proven capacity for research and writing, and fluency in English with proficiency in French and/or Spanish. 

Find the full job description and details on how to apply here. Read more about FPP here. Find FPP on Facebook here and follow FPP on Twitter at @ForestPeoplesP.

New film: "Palawan: Our struggle for nature and culture"

Ancestral Land/Domain Watch (ALDAW), a local network of indigenous people struggling for the protection of their ancestral lands against large-scale corporations in the Philippines, has produced a short film entitled "Palawan: Our struggle for nature and culture". The synopsis is as follows:

The struggle to save Palawan (known as the Philippines’ Last Frontier) is not only about saving trees and rare species. It is also about nourishing the Filipino cultural heritage, so powerfully represented by those indigenous communities that - after escaping Spanish and American colonization and while resisting the new ‘mining imperialism’ now - continue to represent the 'living roots' from which all Filipinos originate. According to the filmmakers, environmental plundering by mining companies is not only a crime against nature but it is also a crime against culture, a sort of genocide that annihilates the most profound roots of the Filipino's history and ultimately plunders the cultural heritage of the whole nation. In this film, Kawali, the mythical ancestor depicted by Batak narrators, emphasises humility and trust towards the supernatural beings in charge of animals and plants. On the contrary, the attitude of Kawali’s brother-in-law comes to represent the epitome of inappropriate behaviour, such as the lack of respect towards the mystical keepers of animals and here, specifically, towards the “father of bees”, a relationship that contemporary Batak continues to restore though the lambay ceremony. The sudden switch between the narration of the Batak myth and the threats posed by mining companies serves to introduce the advocacy efforts of ALDAW.

ALDAW would like you to circulate these links amongst your friends and networks and kindly consider signing the following online petitions:

• No to Mining in Palawan
• Stop Mining Palawan Forest

Presenting BCPs in the Mau Forest

With a long history of exclusion from their traditional homes and increasing pressures on land tenure from politically connected outsiders, the Ogiek community is engaging in domestic and international legal action to protect their rights. The Ogiek Peoples' Development Program (OPDP), a key organisation in this process, suggested that Natural Justice could assist in supporting the Ogiek to establish their rights over their lands and resources. OPDP and Natural Justice agreed that one mechanism to help consolidate community sentiment around land and conservation and supplement the pending court cases could be a Biocultural Community Protocol (BCP).

On 2nd December, Natural Justice travelled to meet with over 50 elders and other representatives of the Ogiek community of the Mau Forest, near Nakuru, Kenya, to explain the principles of BCPs and ascertain if the community was interested in pursuing a BCP. At the meeting Natural Justice presented on the process of developing a BCP, focusing on the importance of engaging the broadest possible section of the community through all stages of the BCP development.

After this presentation community members asked questions about the practical steps needed to establish a BCP. They offered suggestions on how to ensure full participation. The attendees unanimously endorsed OPDP's suggestion that a BCP process should be initiated.